Sounds crazy, doesn’t it? And yet, if you think about it, our sense of smell is the strongest of all five senses. I know that when I opened a box that contained some beautiful tablecloths that belonged to my late grandmother, it wasn’t the image of the cloths that struck the most vivid chord – it was the smell. They smelled like the powder puffs she used to use as sachets in her linen drawers and that was what sent my memory whirling.

When you think of it that way, it’s actually fascinating to think of someone capturing the smells that would remind us of our travels. The salty smell of the ocean, the rich and fruit-laden scent of the jungle, so much more. We can take pictures for visual reminders of the places we’ve seen, we can buy recordings of the music we heard in another country, we can bring home a bottle of sand to touch, we can seek out recipes and ingredients to make the dishes we ate. But the smells? There isn’t much we can do about that. But now it seems we just might be able to someday purchase a scented reminder of the places we have traveled and loved.

I’d love a bubble full of the ocean air on the upper part of the hotel strip in Cancun, maybe another with the smells of the hot and humid jungle surrounding Chichen Itza.

What – or rather, where – would you like to smell right this moment?

(Source)

Post from: Geeky Traveller

They made mention of the service “being regulated to maintain passengers’ comfort and well-being” but I’m not entirely sure what that means and what the regulation will be.

According to Slashphone:

“At the end of the six-month trial, Air France will examine the feedback and comments made by customers to determine whether to launch this service on all its flights.”

I wonder if it will also examine all the feedback and comments made by the people who don’t want to hear one side of a business call or who don’t want to listen to some teenager have a fight with her boyfriend back home for an entire flight. I’m not so sure this is something we can consider an advance in technology – something that mutes all phone calls to everyone but the caller and receiver, now THAT would be an advance!

What do you think?

Technorati Tags: geeky traveller, travel gadgets, in-flight phone service

Post from: Geeky Traveller

This looks like a fairly typical cell phone, yes? However, it’s also something that can be used for your own protection, and I could see it being marketed towards people who enjoy solo travel, especially women. Although it doesn’t actually function as a cell phone, it does come with a built-in 12 LED flashlight and a holster and batteries. However, the big question mark is the fact that it’s also a 900,000-volt stun gun. You can carry it and look like anyone else with a phone, but if you’re attacked by someone, you can zap them with it.

I wonder how many places it’s considered illegal, although if your choice is being attacked or protecting yourself, not everyone would take legalities into concern. Of course, the biggest worry is that if you can go buy one for 70 bucks, so can the people who might like to steal your wallet (or worse).

So what say you, intrepid travelers? Is this a handy gadget to protect yourself while traveling, especially if you’re alone and in unfamiliar areas? Or is this begging for trouble and perhaps lawsuits?

Post from: Geeky Traveller